How to Undelete Photos on iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide
Losing photos on your iPhone can be frustrating, especially if those photos hold special memories. Fortunately, there are several ways for how to undelete photos on iPhone, whether you deleted them by mistake or experienced a system error. Apple has built-in features that make recovering deleted photos easy, and even if those options don’t work, there are other alternatives available. In this guide, we’ll explore the different methods for undeleting photos on your iPhone and tips to help prevent data loss in the future.
1. Recover Photos from the Recently Deleted Folder
The first place to look when trying to undelete photos on an iPhone is the Recently Deleted folder. Apple designed this feature to act as a safeguard, allowing users to recover deleted photos for up to 30 days before they are permanently erased.
Steps to Recover from Recently Deleted:
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Go to the Albums tab.
- Scroll down to find the Recently Deleted folder.
- Browse through the deleted photos.
- Tap on the photos you want to restore.
- Tap Recover in the bottom-right corner.
Once you recover the photos, they will return to their original albums, as if they were never deleted.
2. Restore Photos from an iCloud Backup
If you have enabled iCloud backup on your iPhone, you might be able to restore deleted photos from a recent backup. Keep in mind that this method requires you to restore your entire device to a previous backup, which means you may lose other data created after the backup date.
Steps to Restore from iCloud Backup:
- Make sure your iPhone is backed up to iCloud. You can check this by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
- If a suitable backup is available, you will need to erase all content and settings on your iPhone. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
- During the setup process, choose Restore from iCloud Backup and select the backup that contains your deleted photos.
Your iPhone will restore from the selected backup, and the photos should reappear in your gallery.
3. Recover Photos Using iTunes or Finder Backup
If you regularly back up your iPhone to your computer using iTunes (for Windows) or Finder (for macOS), you can recover deleted photos by restoring from a backup stored on your computer.
How to Retrieve Data from a Finder or iTunes Backup:
1. Connect your iPhone to your PC using a USB connection.
2. Depending on your operating system, open Finder or iTunes, then choose your device.
3. Select a backup that includes the erased images by clicking on Restore Backup.
4. To finish the restoration, adhere to the on-screen directions.
Make sure you won’t lose any vital data because this method will use the backup to replace the data on your iPhone.
4. Use Third-Party Recovery Software
If you don’t have a backup or if the above methods didn’t work, you can try using third-party recovery software. These tools can scan your iPhone’s storage and recover deleted photos that haven’t been overwritten yet.
Popular Third-Party Tools:
- Dr.Fone – Data Recovery: A reliable tool that recovers photos, messages, and more from your iPhone.
- iMobie PhoneRescue: Specializes in recovering iPhone data, including photos, without a backup.
- Tenorshare UltData: Recovers deleted photos, videos, and other files with ease.
Simply download the software, connect your iPhone, and follow the instructions to scan and recover deleted photos.
5. Tips to Avoid Losing Photos in the Future
To prevent the need for photo recovery in the future, consider the following tips:
- Enable iCloud Photos: Automatically back up your photos to iCloud for easy recovery if they’re accidentally deleted.
- Transfer Photos to a Computer: Regularly move photos to your computer or external storage for a secondary backup.
- Use Google Photos or Dropbox: Create additional backups by using services like Google Photos or Dropbox.
Conclusion
Accidentally deleting photos on an iPhone isn’t the end of the world, thanks to Apple’s built-in recovery features like the Recently Deleted folder and iCloud backup. If these options don’t work, you can turn to iTunes backups or third-party recovery software for help. By following these steps and tips, you can minimize the chances of losing important photos in the future.